On a severe-weather Friday afternoon at Ala Moana Beach Park, three Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguards were suspended without pay after testing positive for alcohol while on duty, the city said. The incident unfolded on the Magic Island side, where several lifeguard towers were shuttered even as the beaches remained open.
According to Hawaii News Now, city officials say the episode began around 4 p.m. in a storage room on the Magic Island side of Ala Moana Beach Park. Nine lifeguards were given alcohol tests. Three came back positive and were suspended without pay, while six recorded a .000 blood alcohol content, the city said.
"It is hugely disappointing," Ocean Safety Commission member Racquel Achiu told Hawaii News Now. The three sidelined lifeguards are described as seasoned water-safety officers with roughly seven to 25 years of service, and Honolulu Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager came to the scene to ensure procedures were followed. Mayor Rick Blangiardi's communications director, Scott Humber, said the city "takes this matter seriously" as investigators review whether additional action is warranted.
Department changes and beach traffic
The episode comes as Honolulu continues reorganizing lifeguard operations and expanding leadership, including the appointment earlier this year of Honolulu's first deputy Ocean Safety chief, in an effort to tighten training and field reporting. City logsheet data show Ala Moana draws millions of visits and thousands of preventative actions each year, a level of beach traffic that helps explain why lifeguard conduct is watched so closely; those records are available in a city report. The department enforces a zero tolerance policy on alcohol use or possession while on duty.
Why it matters for beachgoers
Even when towers are closed because of hazardous conditions, lifeguards are expected to shelter safely while staying ready to respond to emergencies, a responsibility that makes any on-duty misconduct especially consequential. The city says the incident remains under investigation and will determine whether additional discipline is warranted.
The city has not released the names of the suspended lifeguards, and officials said staffing levels at Ala Moana were not immediately affected. Honolulu Ocean Safety and the mayor's office did not provide further comment beyond the statements reported so far.
